It all seemed so good five days ago. USA battled Colombia to a 1-1 tie in hot and humid Barranquilla, Colombia. And then everything fell off the rails in Frisco. The US U-23 National Team was out shot 15-4, had barely any possession and played like a team wanting a 0-0 tie rather than a win. Jordan Morris was nowhere to be found, the team seemed passive overall, and it just seemed like it was accepted that Colombia would take the win.
Why the U-23 US National Team Didn’t Qualify for the Olympics
What was most frustrating were the lineup choices. Many players weren’t available simply due to the nature of life. This is not excuse making but the following who would have made an impact just couldn’t be there:
- Cameron Carter-Vickers, our best defender who plays at Tottenham, was out due to persistent back problems.
- Gedion Zelalem, long considered a wunderkind for the US and future USMNT player, seems to be hurt although no details exist. He hasn’t played for his team in Scotland, the powerhouse Rangers, for over two months.
- DeAndre Yedlin could have been with the team but was chosen for senior duty instead. In hindsight, the USMNT didn’t need him against Guatemala but with their backs against the wall, it wasn’t worth the risk.
- Additionally, Christian Pulisic would have been a much smarter option for the U-23’s. The only reason imaginable that Pulisic played against Guatemela was to cap-tie him to the US. His potent attacking ability was sorely missed.
- Attacker Rubio Rubin is still working back from foot surgery six months ago, and was unable to go.
- Attacker Julian Green additionally was ill and was unable to play. For those that don’t remember, Green was tabbed as ‘the future’ and scored against Belgium in the World Cup, but is at least getting solid minutes for Bayern Munich II for now. His absence was curious considering he was very active on social media talking about training and prepping for the game
So there we have six starters who would have had a large effect on the game. And there was nothing that could have been done to affect them not being on the field. However, the absence of Jerome Keisewetter from the starting line up is bewildering. When he came in late in the game he showed an incredible pace and influence. In fact, that is pretty much what he does at any point in any game. At the Toulon tournament in France last summer, he was a literal force. He combined well with the other notable absentee, Maki Tall, who appears to have just been hanging out at his club Red Star in Paris. The last notable absentee was potentially the largest. Fatai Alashe is the starting central defensive midfielder for San Jose but Matt Polster was elected to start in front of him. Polster lacked the bite needed to make an impact in the spine of the midfield that was sorely needed.
It is a shame there will be no US soccer team this year at the Olympics. It’s the second Olympics in a row and by the time the next cycle comes around, it will have been 12 years . For a country like the United States it is simply unacceptable to not make the Olympics. It is a major tournament for our youth team and missing it historically has been a huge knock to the future of these players. Misfortune in regards to injury is one reason, but mismanagement is another.
After the game, Coach Andi Herzog was quoted, “When a team played real physical against us, we didn’t have any power, any assertiveness up front, and that’s disappointing.” That is a coach’s role, to teach them what to expect, to prepare them on how to play. When it matter most, the US wilted. They lacked possession, they lacked will and they lacked any semblance of a playing style. This may be part misfortune of our players not being ready. It may also be partly due to the fact the right players weren’t played. But this is mainly that the coach did not prepare for what game was to be played, and the US will now be watching the Olympics from home this summer. And this will hurt the USMNT for years to come as a result.
